 | This article needs additional citations for verification .(June 2023) |
The Black British Theatre Awards (BBTAS) are presented annually and recognise excellence among Black performers and creatives in the UK.
| | This article needs additional citations for verification .(June 2023) |
The Black British Theatre Awards (BBTAS) are presented annually and recognise excellence among Black performers and creatives in the UK.
The BBTAS were first established in 2019 and launched in October of that year, to coincide with Black History Month. They were created by Solange Urdang and Omar F. Okai. [1] [2]
The Awards were created to celebrate all those black artists and creatives that have contributed to British theatre from the 1950s. They have contributed a rich cultural influence and new ways of approaching theatre. Founders Urdang and Okai recognised that in the past 70 years, there has been a lack of recognition towards Black talent and hope the prize will bring visibility and recognition to artists in all creative fields. [3]
After her award as Best Female Actor in a Musical in 2021, Lucy St Louis was the first Black female actress to be cast in the role of Christine Daee in the London production of The Phantom of the Opera. [4] Following this, she joined the cast of Wicked as Glinda, making history with Alexia Khadime (Elphaba) as for the first time both leading roles were played by actors of color. [5]
In 2022 the awards had great recognition, with public votes quadrupling since the previous year. [6]
Anyone can submit a nomination for each year's BBTAS, by completing an online form. Nominees must have lived in the UK for at least 3 years to be considered or be British Nationals and "of Black of African or Caribbean descent or of Mixed Ethnicity". Productions must have at least 50% of eligible performers. [7] Each individual can only nominate once.
Through the years the awards ceremony has been hosted by big names of the theatre industry, such as Cynthia Erivo, Danny Sapani, Clint Dyer, Giles Terera and Layton Williams.
The 2019 Black British Theatre Awards were held at The Old Finsbury Town Hall in Islington and hosted by Ore Oduba. [8]
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 Black British Theatre Awards were broadcast on Sky Arts on 25 October and took place at the Young Vic. [9] Founders and directors Urdang and Okai said regarding this year's awards: "This is an important year with UK Theatre coming to a standstill and The Black Lives Matter movement protests. We feel it is important now more than ever to highlight the wonderful Black British talent we have in abundance and hope to bring positivity to such a difficult time". [10]
The 2021 Black British Theatre Awards were held at The Old Finsbury Town Hall again and were hosted by Cynthia Erivo and Danny Sapani. Guest presenters included previous winners Miriam-Teak Lee and Layton Williams, as well as Jason Pennycooke, Dawn Hope and Matthew Xia. [11]
The 2022 Black British Theatre Awards ceremony was held at the National Theatre and presented by Danny Sapani again. [12]
The 2023 Black British Theatre Awards were held on 29 October 2023 at the National Theatre, Lyttelton. [13] [14]
Thanks to the sponsorship of Disney Theatrical Group, the Lyceum Theatre was announced as the venue for the 2024 Black British Theatre Awards ceremony. [15] [16] The awards will be held on 4 November. [17] [18]
The Awards have various categories, recognising excellence in Drama, Musicals, behind-the-scenes creatives, producers. A recognition award is given to people who identify, nurture and develop talent through the stage school process, as well as a Lifetime Achievement. [19]
The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical is an honor presented at the Tony Awards, a ceremony established in 1947 as the Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, to actors for quality leading roles in a musical play, whether a new production or a revival. The awards are named after Antoinette Perry, an American actress who died in 1946.
The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical is an honor presented at the Tony Awards, a ceremony established in 1947 as the Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, to actors for quality featured roles in a musical play, whether a new production or a revival. The awards are named after Antoinette Perry, an American actress who died in 1946.
St Bernard's College is an independent Catholic secondary school for boys, located in the Melbourne suburb of Essendon West, Victoria, Australia. The college is named after its patron saint, Bernard of Clairvaux, and is a member of the Associated Catholic Colleges. It is also part of Edmund Rice Education Australia, a series of schools that focus on teaching the pupils in the tradition of Edmund Rice.
The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply TheOlivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London. The awards were originally known as the Society of West End Theatre Awards, but they were renamed in honour of the British actor of the same name in 1984.
Ursula Yovich is an Aboriginal Australian actress and singer. She is known for numerous stage appearances, for co-writing and appearing in the rock musical Barbara and the Camp Dogs (2017), and several film and TV appearances.
The WhatsOnStage Awards, formerly known as the Theatregoers' Choice Awards, are organised by the theatre website WhatsOnStage.com. The awards recognise performers and productions of British theatre with an emphasis on London's West End theatre.
Urdang, previously known as The Urdang Academy, is a performing arts academy based in Islington,and previously named the “Best and most competitive drama school” in London. The school was founded as a ballet school under the direction of Leonie Urdang; after her death her daughter and CEO Solange Urdang succeeded her in 2001, reinventing the school as a performing arts college and remaining director until 2022. In April 2022, Urdang was acquired by City, University of London. Urdang provides specialist vocational training in dance and musical theatre at further and higher education level.
The National High School Musical Theatre Awards, more commonly known as the Jimmy Awards, are awards given annually to recognize musical theatre performances by high school students in the United States. Two main awards are given each year, Best Performance by an Actress and Best Performance by an Actor.
The 73rd Annual Tony Awards were held on June 9, 2019, to recognize achievement in Broadway productions during the 2018–19 season. The ceremony was held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City and was broadcast live by CBS. James Corden served as host.
Marisha Wallace is an American actress and singer, best known for her work in musical theatre.
The Stage Debut Awards are theatre awards recognising individuals making their professional debuts in the performing arts in the UK. The annual ceremony was launched in 2017 by The Stage and include accolades for Best Performer in a Play, Best Writer, Best Designer and the Best West End Debut Performer. Recipients of these awards have gone on to star in West End shows, television series and films.
Lucy St. Louis is an English actress and singer. From 2021 to 2023, she played Christine Daaé in the West End production of The Phantom of the Opera, making her the first black performer to do so. She was then cast as Glinda in Wicked, also on the West End.
Nicole Raquel Dennis is a British musical theatre performer and singer. They are best known as one of the contestants on season eight of The Voice UK and for playing Effie White in the first UK tour of the musical Dreamgirls.
Solange Urdang is a British activist, co-founder of the Black British Theatre Awards (BBTA) and CEO of the Urdang Academy, founded by her late mother Leonie.
The Black British Theatre Awards (BBTA) were launched in 2019 and recognise excellence among Black performers and creatives in the UK.
The Black British Theatre Awards (BBTA) were launched in 2019 and recognise excellence among black performers and creatives in the UK.
The Black British Theatre Awards (BBTA) were launched in 2019 and recognise excellence among black performers and creatives in the UK.
The Black British Theatre Awards (BBTA) were launched in 2019 and recognise excellence among black performers and creatives in the UK.
The Black British Theatre Awards (BBTA) were launched in 2019 and recognise excellence among black performers and creatives in the UK.
The Black British Theatre Awards (BBTA) were launched in 2019 and recognise excellence among black performers and creatives in the UK.